It seems as though BlackBerry made a smart move by joining the Android world with the new BlackBerry Priv that was launched at the beginning of this month.

The first pre-orders of this device were shipped on the first week of November, beginning 6th. AT&T availed this device in their stores on the very same day; however, if you are thinking of getting a new BlackBerry Priv via the company’s online store, you will have to wait until the week starting November 23.

When asked for a comment on this, a BB spokesman said that the company has “begun fulfilling shipments from November 6, however, due to increased demand, we have decided to phase the shipments. This is slated for the next wave”.

A trip to BB’s online store reveals that the latest Priv will indeed start shipping on the “week of November 30” this year.

The Priv is considered as the best shot for BlackBerry to remain in the smartphone industry and it seems this is paying off. This is the first time the Canadian phone maker has ditched its long known BlackBerry operating system in favor of the most popular Android OS. Based on the reception this phone has received upon its launch and despite its hefty price tag, it may not be the company’s first and last adventure in the Android world.

So, what makes this Android-powered BlackBerry Priv’s demand rise?

One thing that BlackBerry lovers value about this company’s smartphones is the signature physical QWERTY keyboard. Ever since the touchscreen took control of things in the mobile phone world, BlackBerry seems to have finally found the right mix following the Priv’s attempt to marry a touchscreen and physical keyboard. In fact, the new Android-powered BlackBerry smartphone comes with a totally new design that includes a sliding form factor.

When it comes to the display, you will enjoy the device’s huge 5.4 inch AMOLED screen that boasts of protection from Gorilla Glass 4. When this screen slides up, you will be left with the iconic keyboard that all BlackBerry devices have been known and loved for.

The screen has an amazing resolution of 1140 by 2560 pixels (541ppi) and inside the phone you will come across a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset and a hexa-core processor. In addition, there is a slightly older Adreno 418 graphics unit, but still you won’t be disappointed with the quality of videos, and graphics in general, this phone displays.

To ensure that you have the best performance, the Priv features a RAM of 3GB and an onboard storage space of 32GB. There is also room for an SD card of up to 2TB just in case you want plenty of storage space on the device. If you happen to be up and down all day long, this is the phone you should be thinking of buying as it is equipped with a battery unit of 3,410mAh, which manages an entire day.

The goodness of the Android OS is that its open-source nature allows smartphone OEMs to play around with the OS. This is something BlackBerry has completely taken advantage of, as it has equipped the Priv with its much touted security features.

Considering the immediate impact this phone has had upon its release, it seems BlackBerry took much longer to realize the potential that comes with being part of the most popular mobile operating system. We expect to see more Android-powered BB devices coming out, especially in 2016 and beyond, maybe with an aim of venturing into the mid-level and low-end markets.